When Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel was appointed LMPD’s interim chief in December, violent crime seemed to be slowly inching down from its pandemic highs. But less than two weeks into her tenure, Louisville has seen a surge in violence, with 10 homicides in the first 10 days of 2023.Gwinn-Villaroel told WLKY News her number one goal is to make Louisville a safer city, and despite the rocky start to her tenure, she is interested in taking on the job permanently. “If that time comes and the mayor feels that I’m the perfect fit, or a good fit, then I’ll accept,” she said.To get to that point, one would assume, she’ll have to make some strides in tamping down the violence. She says that mission is personal to her after her nephew was fatally shot two days after Thanksgiving in Atlanta.”My family has been rocked,” she said. “Holidays will never be the same. Getting that call, that my loved one is gone, I will never forget that day. So, I can connect with the victims. I understand your pain. And my job is to ensure that I help bring closure to that incident that happened in your life.”Other priorities for Gwinn-Villaroel include improving recruitment and retention at LMPD while implementing the reforms outlined two years ago in the Hillard-Heintze report. That audit of the department was ordered after the death of Breonna Taylor.A U.S. Department of Justice investigation into patterns and practices of civil rights violations within the department could also conclude and be made public any day. When that happens, there will likely be more necessary reforms and possibly the weight of a federal consent decree.”We have to keep moving,” she said. “We must be of the mindset that, as we’re navigating through some tough waters, and we’re navigating through sometimes uncertainty, that we have a mission and we have a goal to accomplish.”